Marketing Your Health or Fitness Center Mobile App To Members

Everyone understands the value of mobile. It’s rapid growth continues to surprise marketers and consumers alike. 79% of marketers believe mobile marketing is core to their business (Salesforce’s 2016 State of Marketing Report). Mobile offers are redeemed 10x more frequently than print offers (eMarketer) and 16% of donors give from an email on a mobile device, a number that is rapidly rising each year.

So, offering a mobile app is a popular option, but, offering a mobile app at your YMCA, JCC, recreation center, or health club is more than just being “with it.” It can be a valuable way to deepen member connections and to save your staff time and effort. In order to realize all the benefits of a mobile application, you have to preach adoption to your staff and to your end users – your members.

So, how do you get members to download your app (and use it!) on their mobile phones, already crowded with apps and tools? We recently spoke with Amy Johnson, Digital Media Coordinator at Greater Green Bay YMCA, and Mary Jo Eiberger, CEO and Executive Director of Cameron Regional YMCA. When we looked at metrics from across our customers, these two Ys stood out with a high percentage of members downloading and using mobile apps multiple times over a 30-day period.
Here are three of their tips to be successful marketing your mobile app to members:

Take time to plan ahead before you launch. Johnson explained that at Greater Green Bay YMCA they made sure to find out what your members need and are looking for on the mobile app and be sure to choose administrative support for your app prior to launch and roll-out to members. At Green Bay they chose Mobile App Champions at each center to promote the app and keep everyone informed.

Get staff excited about the app. It’s important to get your staff excited and comfortable with the app so that they can be the best promoters of the app to members. Both Johnson and Eiberger encourage members to sign up for the application on the spot. They even offer to download the application and walk through it with a member that isn’t so tech-savvy. Excited staff will want to show members all the app has to offer.

Use your application for nonmembers too. At the Cameron Regional YMCA they encourage nonmember program participants and even movie-goers (yes, they have a movie theatre!) to download the app and they offer announcements, schedules and the information that is valuable for those users too. Eiberger explained that if nonmembers see all the valuable programs listed in the app that are available to members they may decide to join.

Check out the full webcast for more tips on successfully marketing your mobile application to members:

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